Shimmering Flats

The Shimmering Flats

At the southeastern end of Thousand Needles, on the border with Tanaris, lies the Shimmering Flats. Home to the Mirage Raceway, this area is an open expanse devoid of any vegetation and home to various varieties of, among other things, basilisk, scorpid, turtle and vulture. Although the flats are somewhat spartan, many find the sense of loneliness and silence give the area a unique beauty, and the Mirage Raceway in the middle of such a lonely place gives a stange sense of the surreal.

Known as the Scorched Basin by some, the Shimmering flats are a flat, barren area just southeast of Thousand Needles (and is technically part of that zone).

The flatness of the area makes it especially desirable for Goblins and Gnomes, who have set up a race track in the area and constantly compete against each other to see who can build the fastest racing machine. Their inventions are frequently unstable, and the area is littered with the wreckage and parts of countless failed gizmos, as well as numerous craters.

Thanks to goblin prospecting, a portion of the large salt flat is actually a rich source of oil. The goblins have ventured to the basin in great numbers to collect and refine the "black gold." The otherwise amiable goblins are not very hospitable in this region and maintain guards to ensure no one steals their claim.

The area is full of turtles, buzzards, and basilisks. A group of Dwarven archaeologists were driven out of the ruins in the southwest when they inadvertently dug into a subterranean Silithid hive.

It seems that the area was once underwater, as there is a wrecked sailing vessel in the northern part.

History

This article contains lore taken from Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, the manuals, and/or official bonus maps.

As vicious as they are lovely harpies once moved on the the sands of the "Scorched Basin", vying with the centaur and razormanes for resources.

• Wizzle Brassbolts quest giver
  • Quest:Gahz'rilla
  • Quest:Hardened Shells

• Engineering Supplies (Jinky Twizzlefixxit)
  • Standard engineering supplies
  •  [Schematic: Lovingly Crafted Boomstick] 10
  •  [Schematic: Gnomish Universal Remote] 12 long restock timer (Limited Sale Recipe)

• Gun Merchant (Synge)

• Drink vendor (Riznek) wandering
  • Mana drinks from  [Refreshing Spring Water] to  [Morning Glory Dew]